A Very British Miracle

A Very British Miracle
Author: Edgar Wilson
Publisher: Pluto Press (UK)
Total Pages: 264
Release: 1992
Genre: History
ISBN:

A retrospective on the Thatcher years which examines the policy and philosophy of the New Right. Part one deals with the rise of the New Right, its ideas and leaders and the context in which they flourished. Part two evaluates the economic, social, political and cultural record of government.

A Very British Revolution

A Very British Revolution
Author: Martin Bell
Publisher: Icon Books Ltd
Total Pages: 221
Release: 2009-10-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1848311001

The revelations over MPs' expenses that began in May 2009 ranged from petty thieving to outright fraud and sparked a crisis in confidence unprecedented in modern times. This was a 21st-century Peasants' Revolt - an uprising of the people against the political class. Ordinary men and women with political views across the spectrum were by turns amused, incredulous, shocked and then bitterly angry as the disclosures on MPs' expenses flooded out. From Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's bath plug to Conservative MP Sir John Butterfill's 'flipping' of his constituency home - a now-notorious manoeuvre that required him to refund GBP60,000 to the taxpayer - the exposure of MPs' expenses revealed Westminster's culture of quiet corruption like never before. Drawing on his experience as an MP and as a member of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, Martin Bell explains how the expenses crisis arose and, most compellingly, lays out his prescription for healing the deep wounds inflicted by the scandal. As Martin puts it: 'The revolution will not be complete until all the rogues in the House are gone and public confidence in the MPs remaining is restored.' This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revive British politics, and the rebuilding starts here.

Labourism and the English Genius

Labourism and the English Genius
Author: Gregory Elliott
Publisher: Verso
Total Pages: 260
Release: 1993-11-17
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780860916710

Labour's fourth successive electoral defeat in 1992 rekindled the muffled controversy over its future.

The Miracle Mile

The Miracle Mile
Author: Jason Beck
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 9781987915006

The 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver changed both the city and world sport forever. The Games will always be remembered for the "Miracle Mile," the much-anticipated showdown between the first two men to break the four-minute barrier, England's Roger Bannister and Australia's John Landy. But as the press focused the world's attention on Vancouver, and Bannister outpaced Landy in the stretch, fate found an even more dramatic story that seared itself into the memories of all who saw it. England's Jim Peters, the world-record holder in the marathon, entered Empire Stadium at the end of a brutal twenty-six-mile run, collapsing repeatedly before a medic stopped him two hundred yards from the finish line. These two stories brought the Games to a stirring conclusion on its final day - Saturday, August 7, 1954 - but there were many other extraordinary moments throughout the events. A group of novice UBC rowers pulled off the biggest upset in Games history on the Fraser Valley's Vedder Canal. Australia's Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, the fastest woman in history, blasted down the track one final time to remain undefeated in international competition, an unprecedented accomplishment before and since. Emmanuel Ifeajuna, a little-known high jumper from Nigeria, surprised the world when he won Africa's first-ever international gold medal. He later masterminded a bloody coup that plunged his nation into devastating civil war. Every single day offered up unbelievable tales of glory and grief. As one 1954 billboard boldly proclaimed, the Games were "a week you'll remember a lifetime "

A Very British Cult

A Very British Cult
Author: Stuart Flinders
Publisher: Icon Books
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2024-11-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1837731489

A secluded country house. A rogue Anglican Priest. Ceremonial sex and mislaid fortunes. This is the almost-forgotten story of Victorian Britain's strangest religious sect and its wealthy, mostly female, followers who believed they could ascend directly to heaven. Henry James Prince was a rogue Anglican Priest with a flare for the dramatic, and the founder of the Agapemone, or 'Abode of Love'. He also claimed to be the immortal conduit of The Holy Spirit and purportedly engaged in free love and ceremonial sex with his mostly female followers. But Prince's eventual death didn't mark the end of this strange set... he was promptly replaced by another. John Hugh Smyth-Pigott - otherwise known as the Clapton Messiah. The Abode transformed a sleepy, rural corner of Somerset into one of England's most notorious locations. While the followers shut themselves away and waited patiently for the end of the world, outrage grew - the word 'Agapemone' because a byword for licentiousness or idleness, used by Charles Dickens and Ford Maddox Ford. The reclusive Clapton Messiah became a fixture in the nation's papers, with frenzied efforts to discredit the organisation and undermine its leader. And still the cult grew. Expertly drawing on primary sources to tell the story of the Agapemonites in details for the first time, Stuart Flinders shines a light on the people drawn to the cult - the forced marriages; the swindled fortunes; the women condemned to asylums; and those who managed to escape from the Abode. It is also the story of two extraordinary men, whose claims of divinity were at the heart of this very British cult.

A Very British Experience

A Very British Experience
Author: Andrew Stewart
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
Total Pages: 466
Release: 2020-01-29
Genre: History
ISBN: 1836241429

In terms of the Second World War and Britain's wartime strategy three elements deserve close scrutiny: the paramount importance of defending the British mainland and its population; the challenges of building and maintaining coalitions and alliances; and the central role the African continent assumed in all British strategic planning. A concluding essay reflects upon the degree to which in the face of an often uncertain and unconvincing approach these critical themes underpinned the British experience of the conflict. Topics addressed include 1940 and the Defence of Britain; relations with the United States; the British Empire Air Training Plan; General (Boy) Browning and Operation Market Garden; the recall of General Alan Cunningham from Libya in 1941; plans for defending the Royal Family; Exercise Genesis, which turned west London into a battleground for a day in May 1942; and the role of the Eastern Fleet off Africa. Andrew Stewart provides a compelling chapter on the loss of the Tobruk garrison in June 1942 -- one of the worst military disasters suffered by the British Empire during the Second World War. The essay on Tobruk demonstrates how all three defining elements of wartime experience converged: the loss of public confidence about how the war was being conducted; its impact on the relationship with the Union of South Africa, a key partner in the Dominion wartime coalition; and the absolute necessity that existed for deep strategic planning on the African continent -- subsequently to be realised at the final battle at El Alamein.

The Miracle of Dunkirk

The Miracle of Dunkirk
Author: Walter Lord
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 478
Release: 2012-03-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 1453238506

The true story of the World War II evacuation portrayed in the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk, by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Day of Infamy. In May 1940, the remnants of the French and British armies, broken by Hitler’s blitzkrieg, retreated to Dunkirk. Hemmed in by overwhelming Nazi strength, the 338,000 men gathered on the beach were all that stood between Hitler and Western Europe. Crush them, and the path to Paris and London was clear. Unable to retreat any farther, the Allied soldiers set up defense positions and prayed for deliverance. Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered an evacuation on May 26, expecting to save no more than a handful of his men. But Britain would not let its soldiers down. Hundreds of fishing boats, pleasure yachts, and commercial vessels streamed into the Channel to back up the Royal Navy, and in a week nearly the entire army was ferried safely back to England. Based on interviews with hundreds of survivors and told by “a master narrator,” The Miracle of Dunkirk is a striking history of a week when the outcome of World War II hung in the balance (Arthur Schlesinger Jr.).

A Very British Journey

A Very British Journey
Author: Peter Hadden
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
Total Pages: 631
Release: 2024-08-28
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1805149458

Britain is blessed with remarkable scenery and a wealth of history, and there is no better way to explore it than on foot. Although long distance walking is easy for the young and fit, for others it may not be so. This is a story of how a group of walkers, the majority of whom were in their seventh decade, walked from Hampshire to Iona, and what they discovered about this spectacular island along the way. The book is lavishly illustrated with photographs, most of which were taken during the walk. The walk was accomplished over one week in May every year for 5 years. Timings and routes are detailed and both the human and natural history of the places visited is explored. Starting in Hampshire, the walkers headed northwest, along the Thames, through the Cotswolds and into the Midlands. Then they followed the Pennines through the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and the Northumbrian hinterland. From Lindisfarne the walkers headed to Scotland, traversing in turn the Borders, Southern Uplands, Glasgow, Western Highlands and over to Iona via Mull. All were amazed at how much ground could be covered and all returned with a much deeper understanding of Britain than when they had

Miracles: A Very Short Introduction

Miracles: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Yujin Nagasawa
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2017-11-16
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0191064327

Jesus turned water into wine, Mohammad split the moon into two, and Buddha walked and spoke immediately upon birth. According to recent statistics, even in the present age of advanced science and technology, most people believe in miracles. In fact, newspapers and television regularly report alleged miracles, such as recoveries from incurable diseases, extremely unlikely coincidences, and religious signs and messages on unexpected objects. In this book the award-winning author and philosopher Yujin Nagasawa addresses some of our most fundamental questions concerning miracles. What exactly is a miracle? What types of miracles are believed in the world's great religions? What do recent scientific findings tell us about miracles? Can we rationally believe that miracles have really taken place? Can there be acts that are more religiously significant than miracles? Drawing on a vast variety of fascinating examples from across the major religions, Nagasawa discusses the lively debate on miracles that ranges from reported miracles in ancient scriptures in the East and West to cutting-edge scientific research on belief formation. Throughout, he drives us to ask ourselves if and how we can still believe in in miracles in the twenty-first century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Expect Miracles

Expect Miracles
Author: David M. Culver
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
Total Pages: 285
Release: 2014-04-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0773590730

Expect Miracles is the personal and professional story of a leader in the worlds of business and culture. David Culver narrates his journey from his upbringing in Montreal's Golden Square Mile, through his studies at McGill and Harvard, his army service during the Second World War, to his impressive rise at Alcan to become chairman and chief executive officer of one of Canada's leading multinational corporations. The memoir provides an inside look into the management of a global company with roots deeply planted in Quebec and offers pragmatic advice on how to grow talent, foster technology, and handle adversity in a far-flung organization. Anecdotes of meeting the likes of Margaret Thatcher, Henry Kissinger, and Jawaharlal Nehru, reveal the experiences of a strong corporate leader who continued to live a Montreal life, while never losing his interest in discovering the world. A man of many interests and talents, Culver reflects on his long love affair with architecture - and his efforts to restore and preserve Montreal's heritage by creating Maison Alcan - and how music and sport helped shape his life. Expect Miracles is evidence of Culver's positive outlook and belief that the most extraordinary things can happen when you least expect them.